Up In Arms
by disasterousperfection
Summary: Set Right after OoTP. Ginny and Harry not a couple. What happens when a group of American wizarding students come into Hogwarts? What secrets will Harry unravel? Will he be ready to face them?
1. Chapter 1

It had only been days since Sirius' death, so maybe that would explain why Harry had not yet spoken. His three best friends, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny, had all tried to get the solemn teen to talk, but nothing could shake his silence, though they could see the scene replaying over and over in his mind. They were back at the Black House, which might have worsened Harry's state. Right now, Ginny was sleeping, nestled in his arms, while Ron and Hermione were downstairs playing games with Fred and George. Ginny and Harry had dated for a couple of months, and figured out that wasn't for them. They were meant to be friends, nothing really more. They remained very touchy though, it was a usual day that found Harry's arms wrapped loosely around Ginny, or her crawling in next to him when she couldn't sleep. And it was she, who was there when he finally spoke.

"He called me James." She stirred, wiping the loose strands of hair away from his shadowed eyes.

"What, Harry?"

"He called me James. We were fighting together, and I had gotten in an easy spell. He looks over, _'Good one James!_' It's like he thought I was dad. And then I let him down..."

Harry started to quietly sob, reliving one more time the death of his last family member. Was he just destined to be alone? He thought he had found love with Ginny. But it felt wrong. They weren't meant to be. He had no family. No parents. Vernon and Petunia didn't want anything to do with him. And there was Sirius, and now he was gone.

"Sweetheart, no you didn't. You fought ever so bravely right beside him. You were both taken off guard when Bellatrix got her shot in. The fact that you stood there and defended him as long as you did shows you didn't let him down."

She reached to dry the tears from his eyes, as he nodded solemnly. Ron and Hermione prodded up the stairs to share a letter they had just received from Hogwarts.

"It's addressed to all of us." Ron was always amazed how they just knew they were together.

"Dear Miss Granger, Mister Potter, and Weasley Family. With current events of the Dark Lord's return, we have taken the step of adding more precautions. More details when the term begins. Hogwarts Administration."

Hermione looked disappointed until Ron slipped the second sheet of papyrus from behind the first.

"Dear group. I didn't want this getting around to everyone, lest the Death Eaters find out. We are receiving a group of highly talented American wizards and witches, to help with the battle against Voldemort. I will expect you will want to help, and details to come. Take Care, Dumbledore."

She smiled and nodded, knowing Dumbledore wouldn't exactly leave them out of the loop.

"What do you think this means?"

"It means they're scared of a widespread attack, so they're hoping these American witches and wizards can give them the slip. They go for muggle borns first. And with people they don't know, they won't know whether they're killing full bloods or not."

Hermione was right. There was probably another reason, but who really knew. The rest of the summer was full of enough events. They were to see the Cannons play, and of course they were going to be there for Umbridge's trial. His scars were barely beginning to heal, as his thumb grazed the faint scars left on Ginny's. Maybe this was his chance. His chance to see where he really stood within it all.


	2. Chapter 2

It was finally the day to start school. Hermione, Ginny, Ron, and Harry boarded the train together, watching Fred and George bound off ahead of them, no doubt trying to sell some of their new products. The group was looking for anyone out of the ordinary. The American kids. It should be easy to spot them. Taller than the first years, the different accents, and possibly different attire. But, alas, they were nowhere to be found. Hermione guessed it was to keep it a secret until they got to Hogwarts, so only they were privy to it.

Harry sat, looking dismally out the window, his thoughts again turning to Sirius. It just wasn't fair for him to be gone. Ginny saw the despair settling in his eyes, and reached for his hand. He turned, smiling slightly at her, as he laid his head in her lap. He fell asleep decently quickly, mainly because he knew he was safe as long as he was around these three. They would never let him down.

Within the hour they had arrived at the hallowed halls of Hogwarts. As they hopped on the carriage, they caught their first glimpses of what they expected were their friends from the west. Some were nervous and quiet, some were overly excited and chatty, but there were a few, like the one Harry had his eyes on, that were calmly talking to their friends, taking in their new habitats. Harry's eyes kept glancing over to the strawberry blonde in the middle carriage. She had her eyes covered in sunglasses, and her hair had just the slightest curl to it down at the bottom. She was short, but the way she moved, something told Harry that she was most likely right about his age. He would just have to wait for McGonagall, the Sorting Hat, and the Opening Feast, to find out all the details.

They took their seats on the long table under the maroon and gold colors of Gryffindor, even though Hermione still calls it burgundy, as they waited for the Sorting to begin. The first years gathered around the professor, anxiously waiting to see what many of their older siblings and cousins had told them about. In the back, the group of American kids still looked almost as in awe as the smaller ones, but yet, a little more brazen and bold. After the familiar speech about sorting, and what this meant for each of the students. At the end, there was a small addendum for the new students, adding that they were not first years, and would be held in the same regards and classes as their peers. And so the sorting began.

"Lucas Creevey!"

"Oh blimey. Not _another_ Creevey!" Ron groaned, remembering how awful their older brother Colin was, and how often they were blinded by the light off his camera.

"Hannah Damon!"

"Demon looks more like it." Everyone was shocked by Hermione's snide comment. Things passed on quite smoothly, out of the first twenty, eight went to Gryffindor. Harry's breath caught in his lungs though, when the girl he saw earlier was called up front.

"Lily Lewis!" Lily. His mum's name. She didn't have her eyes though. In fact, since the girl had finally removed her sunglasses, that her eyes were almost clear. They were blue, but instead of that slate look like everyone else that had, these looked like someone had dipped water out of the ocean, and dropped them into her eyes. He sat with baited breath, as the Sorting Hat began.

"Hum, a new one, and yet, and old one. A mind like a sword, sharp, not deft. Without a doubt, say **GRYFFINDOR **with a shout!" His heart leapt into his brain it felt like as she happily skipped over to their table. Lucky him, she found the empty spot next to him. The group began talking to her, introducing themselves, ignoring the rest of the sorting.

"Hi, Lily is it? I'm Hermione Granger."

"Ron Weasley."

"Ginny Weasley."

"Harry Potter." He said it almost with a hesitant sigh, thinking she was going to fall all over him like those fawning other girls. But she sat unphased, and leave it to Luna, who always was a little daft, to bring it back up.

"You know, Harry _Potter_. The Boy Who Lived... The..."

"Chosen One, yeah, I know the stories. But I bet ole' Harry here would like to stop being remembered, and start being seen. You know, like the boy who ate his oatmeal today, or The Brave One."

His crush on her was only beginning to grow. But yet, there was still something about her. Something he felt that wasn't exactly all chipper and sweet.


	3. Chapter 3

Lily, Ginny, and Hermione went up the stairs to their dorm, as they left Ron and Harry down in the common room.

"So Lily, tell us a little bit more about America."

They had been telling her all about England in the last couple of hours, and they wanted to know all they could about the land out west.

"Well, we were created in I think 1775..."

"_Lily,_ be serious now."

Hermione knew where she was getting at, and she was in no mood to hear about everything from the beginning about the United States.

"Alrighty, fine."

Lily giggled, after changing into her jammies, and sliding into her bed between Ginny and Hermione.

"I was born in the South. Texas actually. But I've been all over the states with my mom. She works for the Ministry's US division. She never really did tell me much about my father though, except that he was from here, and that he had told us to stay in America where we'd be safe. He's the reason my name is Lily. According to mom, he said I look just like her, whoever 'her' is."

Hermione didn't want to let on, but she was beginning to connect a little bit. Lily's story checked out. A lot of the more prominent wizards left for America right about the time they were all born to get reinforcements for the battle. And she did look like someone she knew. A Lily she knew. Or at least she had met in pictures. Lily Potter. Harry's mother. But there was still one piece of the puzzle missing. Which wizard was her father? Of course, she had stopped listening at this time, her mind in over drive. According to the stories Dumbledore had told them, Lily was quite popular. She was a very beautiful girl, and a very popular student.

**Drat,** she thought to herself. She hated when she couldn't figure a puzzle out. They fell asleep, finally, everyone happy with the new friends they had made.

* * *

In the boys' room, Harry and Ron were in their corner, discussing Lily. It was obvious Harry had fallen hard for her. Ron knew it. It had been hard for him to admit when Harry told him he was falling for Hermione. Ron doubted it. Ron and Hermione? All they ever did was fight. And then, after the battle... they were practically inseparable. When he held her in the hospital wing, her recovering from a particularly nasty hit to the head from a prophecy, he never really wanted to let her go.

"You really like her, mate? You've known her less than a day, and you've already got your knickers..."

"Never you mind my knickers, Ron. Yes, I think she's pretty. But right now, I have to focus on..."

"I know what you have to focus on." Being best friends for six years now, they could finish each other's sentences. That, and to keep people from learning things they had no business knowing.

Harry climbed into bed, tucking the sheets a little tighter next to him, finding his arms wishing she was there next to him. And then only time he had ever touched her is when her hand brushed against his in the common room, reaching for the same fireplace poker. That touch was electric enough for him though, sending goosebumps all over his body. He thought that was they way it was supposed to feel with Ginny, but it never did. Maybe she was supposed to be his. But was it too early? He had just lost the only person that was truly left in his family. He wasn't blood, but he was pretty darn close to it. Watching him die, was worse than the day he had truly found out what happened to his mom and dad. Sirius had gotten to know him, had gotten to love him. And he had gotten to love Sirius. And now, he was gone. Maybe that's how he was destined to be. But, he had hope. She had his schedule.


	4. Chapter 4

Harry awoke a little bit earlier than usual, trying to get ready. Thank the Lord he had decided to cut his usually unruly hair, so the gel he put in worked quite well. After brushing his teeth, and double checking that everything was buttoned, zipped, straightened, and tied, he went downstairs to the common room.

Being so early in the morning, at least three hours before breakfast, he thought no one was going to be in the common room. But, relaxing right next to a small fire, was Lily. She had a very worn book in her hands, and she seemed pretty interested in it. She noticed Harry's presence. He noticed the ease each other had as he slipped down right beside her, looking over her shoulder to see what she was reading.

"Mornin."

"Good morning. Sleep well?"

_'Good job, Harry. Hide the nerves.'_

He thought to himself, as he wiped his hands along his robes. But she seemed totally at ease, he could almost swear she scooted closer to him.

"Yup. These beds are a lot bigger than the one I have at home. I wish it would be warmer though." He snickered at her little whimper, and gave her a questioning look.

"You have to understand, where I grew up, this temperature is early spring, early fall. I was used to high nineties, or low hundreds. Of course, I mean in Fahrenheit."

She smirked, just slightly, leaning her head on his shoulder. And neither of them moved. She dropped her book, and they sat there in the corner, his arm finding itself behind her, and her constantly brushing up against him. When she shivered, just a little, he was the perfect gentleman. He took off his robes and tucked them around her. She smiled her gratitude. As his hands busied themselves tucking the last bits of the robes under to keep out the cool, his hands brushed across hers. The touch was truly and perfectly electric.

"Tell me about you, Lily." She stared at him, those oddly clear and endless blue eyes radiating back at him.

"I was born in Texas, and technically still live there. My dad is somewhere here in England, maybe one day I'll meet him."

"Your eyes, how did they get so pretty?" He was almost shocked at the ease he felt around her. She was just so drawn to her.

"When I was a baby, a little shy of two, a Death Eater showed up. He thought my dad was there. Something made him think my dad was seriously important. He tried to kill my mom, but he saw me standing there. And so he tried to blind me, but it didn't work. Something about what he said was off, and instead of clearing my vision, he cleared my eyes. Now I've been told they're just like little pools."

"At midnight." He took the back of his hand to her chin, to tilt her head in order to see those eyes better.

"Anyways," she blushed, which made his heart beat a little bit faster, " after the attack, my mom wrote to dad, telling him we were moving. She started moving me all along the South, until the commotion died down here. We moved back to Texas, with occasional moves to Maine, Florida, and California. About six months ago, I got a letter from Dumbledore. He told me about what you all did before summer break, and that they were going to enlist some of us kids from America to help in the war. American kids are trained differently from you guys, so he won't be prepared with what we know in the same amount of years. And before you can ask, he did ask if I could help train in the Room of Requirement."

He smirked, remembering that Dumbledore was always on top of the ball.

He noticed her let out a little yawn, and looking at the clock, they still had over two hours before breakfast. He scooted her a little closer to him, so she would be comfortable if she fell asleep. They talked about random things, like Professor Snape, like the new things Dumbledore was trying out, like free periods. Thanks to Dumbledore, most of the Army got two free periods. So did a few others, but most fifth, sixth, and seventh years got at least one. Lily and Harry decided they would spend their first free period together. Alone, Harry hoped. Possibly the rest of the group.

_Gosh, why did he want to kiss her so badly!? He barely knew her!_

_

* * *

_

It was mid afternoon, after lunch, and Harry, Lily, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny all had a free period off. Their second one would fall after their last class. That would be the one they used for training. Luckily, everyone found a little something to do, so Harry and Lily had time alone to talk, and get to know each other.

"Harry, can I tell you something?" Her voice was sweet. Her strawberry blonde hair floated around in the soft breeze.

"Sure, anything." He was playing with a blade of grass, his green eyes trying not to fill with too much anticipation.

"I know we've barely met and all, but I really like you." He hid the burgeoning smile on his face, to try and be serious.

"Well," He began, but his heart sank when he noticed the concern on her face, like she had opened her heart, and he was about to squash it.

"that's great, because I've been trying to find the right way to tell you I like you too."

She smiled brightly, as he pulled her close to him, wrapping an arm loosely around her. They sat there, under the tree, talking, laughing. He kissed her cheek, lightly, trying to get that blush from that morning. And it worked.

This, was life. This was the life he had wanted.


	5. Chapter 5

A cooler spring set into a downright cold winter. Harry, Lily, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were having a lot of fun between classes and training. They were currently getting ready for a trip into Hogsmeade, Lily's first. He and Lily had been spending a lot of time together, writing each other notes to read when they went to bed, spending free time under _"their tree"_ at the edge of the forest, and just all around getting to know each other. They were taking things slowly, not even sharing their first kiss yet.

Ron and Harry were waiting in the common room for the girls, with Neville. Neville and Ginny had taken a liking to each other lately. They were already bundled up, each waiting for their respective girl, with their coats in hand.

After a little waiting, the girls finally coming down. Harry's heart caught a little, watching Ginny come down first, her hair pulled back in a ponytail, wearing a green sweater and plaid button down underneath. She walked over to Neville's side, as he helped her into her coat. Hermione was next, her hair straightened, so different from the bushy curls she usually had. Her powder blue turtleneck made her rosy cheeks more profound. Ron greeted her with a sweet kiss on the cheek, as they murmured to each other about something they had talked about the night before. Finally, came Lily. It felt almost like prom night, he thought. She was bubbly and happy, as usual. She had her hair naturally curly, letting it fall around her shoulders. Her blonde hair paled in comparison even more against the black in her sweatshirt. She hugged Harry as he easily swept her small frame into the big coat.

With everyone finally ready, they went with everyone else to the town. Harry was captivated by the look of sheer excitement in Lily's eyes. He was so very thankful she had come into his life. He thought that life without both his parents, and now Sirius, was not really worth living. But then, here she comes in, like a whirlwind, and turns his life upside down, but he was loving every minute of it. They all sat around the bar, sipping on butterbeer and giggling about going home soon for winter break. Of course, Lily would be staying with them, at the Black house, which had become Harry's, as far as anyone thought. Sirius had no family to mention, so anything that was his had pretty much already went to Harry.

They took a trip to the Shrieking Shack and to Zonko's, where they ran into Fred and George trying to sell their joke products. They almost got Lily and Hermione with a Grinning Grape, but of course, Ron was there to intercept. He never did find it too particularly funny when his brothers messed with his girlfriend. Did he really mind that they were trying to get Lily? Kinda. Maybe if it was something a little more innocent, but those grapes were hard to stop once the damage had been done. They had tried one out on big brother Percy, and the poor man couldn't go back to work for at least a week.

Coming back from Hogsmeade, everyone decided to take a little nap. Well, Harry decided to head off to the Room of Requirement to blow off some frustration from his homework. Luckily Seamus was there already, so that they got some practice in together.

While Harry was gone, the group got a surprise visit from the Weasely's father, Arthur. After the return of Voldemort was made evident, it was pretty common for the Ministry to have members stop in to check in on everyone.

"Hello children!" Arthur introduced himself to Lily, and he was perpetually amazed by all the muggle things she knew how to do. Arthur was always interested in things that muggles do, to "compensate" for the fact that they didn't have magic. As they got into random conversation, while looking through one of Lily's scrapbooks, Arthur asked the question that opened up the can of worms.

"Lily, darling, I must ask, out of simple curiosity. I keep seeing your name listed as 'Lily B. Lewis' but there's never a mention of your middle name in full. What is your middle name, sweetie?"

She paused, tracing the cover of her book.

"My middle name is Emily, though I never use it. The B that's listed is because of my dad's last name. Mom let me use it instead of my middle name for transcripts and things."

"If it's not too prying, might we know your dad's last name?" Hermione was back on her trip of detective work.

"Mom said his name was Black. Sirius Black."


	6. Chapter 6

Their was a storm brewing on the grounds of Hogwarts. The skies around them were gray and looming, the thunder was low and predatory, as if it were tempting anyone to cross its path. The skies around them matched the groups somber attitude since Lily Lewis admitted she was actually Lily Emily Black Lewis, daughter of Sirius Black. She had no idea her father was dead, or who he was to Harry. But she was about to find out.

"Why's everyone so quiet since I told you? You act like you know something... _do you_? Do you know my dad, or where he is?"

Ginny's heart sank lower and lower in her chest, not only for Lily, but remembering that scene, as Harry was forced to watch Sirius die, held back by her own father. How Harry had hated Arthur for days on end, blaming him for Sirius' death. She didn't really know if she wanted him to walk through that door right now, or whether or not she ever wanted him to know this information. Of course, one day he would. If they didn't end up seriously dating, and getting married, they would at least be close friends. The secret would come out.

"Lily, dear, sit down. We've got some explaining to do." Arthur sat in the big corner chair, next to the fireplace, with Lily sitting on the arm. He took a deep breath, trying to prepare himself to tell her the news he never wanted to tell a child.

"We _did_ know your father. He was a great man. Very, very brave. Fought against Voldemort and his Death Eaters. He'd kept us safe on many of occasion."

"You say **did.** Where is he? What happened to him?" She was getting frantic, realizing that this story probably wasn't going to have such a happy ending afterall.

"Sweetie, your father died. Just at the end of last term. He was fighting against some Death Eaters, trying to protect Harry, and he was hit by his own relative. Bellatrix Lestrange, your cousin."

"Harry?" She was trying to block out the rest that he had said, but when her significant other came into question, her interest was again piqued.

"Well, here's the thing, Lil." Ginny scooted to be closer to her, holding her hand ever so lightly.

"Harry was Sirius' godson."

Lily's head was spinning. So much information, so little time. To avoid crumbling in front of everyone, which was something she never did, she bolted out of the room, grabbing her hoodie to cover her bare arms from the wind. No one dared follow her, though they all wanted to. They knew she needed to be alone. Not one of them could really put themselves in her shoes.

* * *

Harry came back minutes later, tired after hours of practicing with Seamus. He saw Arthur, giving him a hug hello, but couldn't help but notice the huge note of sadness in the air. And that Lily was nowhere to be found.

"Uhm, did I miss something, guys?" Everyone's heads kind of dropped, no one really willing to tell him the truth.

"Harry, please. We can't let you get upset, but we need to tell you something." Ron's voice was surprisingly sober, even, and calm.

"What?" Harry leaned up against a pillar, waiting to see what this information was.

"Dad was talking with all of us, we were all getting to know Lily. She brought out some of her scrapbooks for dad to see. He asked her what her middle name was, since he had never heard it mentioned, but on every document it says "Lily B. Lewis"..."

Harry was trying to get Ron to continue, his stomach churning, thinking of what this could be getting at.

"The B stands for Black. Her father was _Sirius_ Black. We were telling her about what happened last year, and about the fact he was your godfather, and she freaked out and ran." Harry was unceremoniously hot under the collar.

**"AND YOU JUST LET HER RUN OUT OF HERE!? NO ONE CHASED AFTER HER?! IT'S STORMING OUT THERE, AND THERE'S NO TELLING WHERE SHE IS!"**

He bolted from the room, thinking that he would just apologize later. He knew they knew that he didn't mean it. Didn't make it any better that he just yelled at all his best friends, and the closest thing to a father he had right now. He just knew he had to find her. The storm had come, and was wreaking havoc on the castle. Huge lightning bolts. Pouring drenches of rain. Louder thunder than a thousand jet engines. This was an angry storm, with a vengeance.

* * *

He was running at full speed, trying to inch the old crinkly Maurader's Map out of his pocket, hoping to anyone that she was still anywhere around her that he could find. Stopping at the castle door, he tapped the parchment with the familiar words

"I solemnly swear I am up to no good."

He muttered these words, thinking to himself that she was really the only true good left in his life. Immediately, the parchment sprang to life, showing all the little dots moving and bustling around. His eyes searched frantically, looking for any sign of a name beginning with L. Lavender, no, though he did find it funny she was all the way up there with Professor Trelawney even though she supposedly couldn't stand her.

Nothing, nothing, nothing... until finally! There she was, but in a pretty pickle of a place. She was with the owls. As he sped off to join her, his thoughts were running rampant on why in the world she would be up there. Was it Hedwig? She did love the owl very much. Hedwig was sometimes a very stubborn animal, but seemed to take kindly to Lily. Reaching the owlery though, he saw something he didn't want to see.

She was sitting there, perched on the trellis, fragile, as if one little breeze of wind could knock her off.

"Lily, honey."

She turned slightly, the wind keeping her eyes shaded, but he could still see the red puffiness all over her face. She had been crying. He wondered how much of it had to do with how he would react to the information. He raised his arm out, trying to get her off her perch. She shakily took it, and immediately he pulled her back inside, and tightly to him. He took off his coat, wrapping it around her, trying to both warm and dry her. The owls were going crazy, so he led her into a quieter, abandoned classroom, so they could talk.

"Lily, sweetie, I need you to talk to me. I need you to tell me how you're feeling right now."

He saw the pain in her eyes, and it killed him that he couldn't take it away. He knew now how Ginny and the rest of them must have felt recently.

"He's gone, Harry. He's gone. I never got the chance to know him. He made sure I was protected, and yet, I did nothing to protect him. I came too late. And then, how could I face you? You're probably still aching from losing him, and then here I come, getting all attached to you, and for you to find out I'm your god father's daughter..."

She was cut off by his kiss, powerful, yet soft. He pulled her tightly to him, never wanting to let her go again. After a while of talking, and just being in each other's arms, they went back to the common room.

"Why did you go to the owlery?"

"It overlooks our tree." He knew right then and there that he was doing the right thing by being with her.


End file.
